Triggers? - Lupus Message Board

diinin · 02-10-2005, 08:40 PM

Hi everybody. Haven't been here in awhile, as things have been pretty quiet.

I have not been diagnosed yet, but visited my rheumy today and told her that I'd been found to have lichen planopilaris last fall. She thought that was significant.

She hasn't diagnosed me yet (My ANA was >1:640 speckled, and I had severe symmetrical joint pain with some swelling, a facial rash that was a lot brighter when all this blew up, and an anticardiolipin IgM of 137, also frequent mouth sores. BUT,,, CBC was perfect, other more specific tests negative).

She did say that she thinks I have a tendency toward autoimmunity, and a trigger could throw me into full-blown lupus. She stressed staying out of the sun. And I know that viruses can trigger it.

Finally, here's my question. What other triggers are known? Stress hasn't been proven yet, has it? I'm just trying to find out what they all are, and which ones I can do something about.

Donte · 02-11-2005, 07:30 AM

I think everyone is different and you must listen your what your body tells you. If you're tired, you should take it easy; pushing yourself could cause a flare. Also, some medications are known to exacerbate lupus like birth control pills and some antibiotics, etc. Some people with lupus cannot tolerate sulfa based antibiotics (me for one) and they could make them really sick. I've read that alphalfa sprouts can trigger a flare, but I don't eat them so I don't know for sure. These are things that we can avoid triggering a flare. Stress? Well, I'm not convinced any of us can avoid that trigger. I'm sure there is some stress we have control over, but life is full of stressors that we don't ask for but must deal with on a regular basis. I guess instead of thinking we need to avoid stress, we simply need to learn how to manage it in our lives.